NYS Music 2024

Category: Alternative/Indie

  • Scarsdale Music Festival Announces Lineup

    Scarsdale Music Festival has announced its fourth annual lineup- featuring amazing talent who will perform on two main stages throughout the day and an all-new acoustic stage. Twelve bands from Scarsdale and the greater Tri-State area were chosen through an extensive selection process from over 70 submitted applicants.

    Scarsdale Music Festival

    SMF is an exceptional, family-friendly community event that brings together thousands of people of all ages to celebrate their love of music, food, and community. The fourth annual festival, hosted by the Scarsdale Business Alliance (SBA), will take place rain or shine on Saturday, June 1st, from 12-6 pm in Scarsdale Village, benefitting Daniel’s Music Foundation, which empowers individuals with disabilities through music education, performance, and socialization. 

    This year’s Grand Tasting Village will feature elite wines from around the world, specialty cocktails, and food pairings. In addition, guests 21+ can also purchase beer and wine by the glass. The Family Fun Zone will feature carnival games, face painters, arts and crafts, musical demonstrations, DIY and STEAM activities, sports, inflatables, and more! 

    Scarsdale Music Festival Lineup

    Artia Tobia, a NYC-based artist who infuses his Americana roots with a modern edge, will deliver heartfelt lyrics and soulful melodies that resonate with audiences across genres. Conversing with Oceans is a fully evolved indie rock band based in Westchester looking to their rock past to explore new sounds and musical landscapes. Their debut LP WILD / DREAMS is a dedicated rock album, displaying what these four musicians can do. The Del Bocas have been a Scarsdale-based band for over ten years, seeing themselves as a “wild jukebox” – with a large repertoire of songs from the ’60s to today.

    Doni Nicole and the DNE Band is a multifaceted artist, entrepreneur, and mother, based in New Rochelle, whose music spans various genres, from gospel to world music. Notable achievements include singing background for iconic artists like Patti Labelle and releasing chart-topping singles such as “New Joy2” and “Drummer Boy.” Euphoria is a five-person band from New York with a unique brand of performance style, entertaining audiences with a refreshing take on beloved songs. Hunter Roa is a band whose sounds harken back to when rock was rock and originality was essential, drawing influences from Soundgarden, Aerosmith, and other greats – leading the Rock Renaissance. Lauren Minear is a critically acclaimed indie folk-pop singer-songwriter, psychotherapist, and mother based in New York, drawing inspiration from her eclectic background to craft soulful melodies and introspective lyrics that captivate audiences with their authenticity and depth.

    The Men of Soul is a talented, dynamic three-man vocal group from NYC, accompanied by a four-piece band bringing classic, neo-soul, and R&B music to the stage. Rennie Pincus & Friends is a Scarsdale-based band whose recent album, DEAL, explores the music of The Grateful Dead and features guests Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jack Petruzelli (Joan Osborne), Matt Rae (Arlen Roth), and Annalyse & Ryan. NYC/Westchester-based band Skyfactor released their newest album A Thousand Sounds, and they’re behind the song “OK” from MTV’s hit show Teen Mom. Trinity is a versatile artist whose eclectic sound seamlessly blends elements of R&B, hip-hop, and pop, captivating audiences with her soulful vocals and introspective lyrics, advocating for social justice and empowerment.

    Finally, the Zac Hoina Trio is a dynamic blues trio known for their electrifying live shows, where they skillfully blend raw emotion with authentic blues sounds, captivating audiences with their soulful performances and masterful musicianship.

    The Daniel Music Foundation has featured performers, including Daniel & Gerry, performing folk-rock songs that focus on kindness and understanding, with an overall message of acceptance. George Dennehy will perform his heart and soul on stage, telling his story, while Opera singer Iolanta Mamatkazina shatters stereotypes. Finally, Jake Nielsen brings the rock vibes.

    Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Scarsdale Music Festival.

  • Sammy Rae Brings Camp to Buffalo

    Sammy Rae & The Friends wrapped up their ‘CAMP’ world tour at a newly established venue, Electric City, in Buffalo on Sunday, March 10.

    Sammy Rae

    The night started with a one-hour set from the Montreal-native band FLEECE. They brought an infectious and vibrant energy to the stage, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

    During their set, Sammy Rae & The Friends joined FLEECE on stage to perform a song together, ‘Do You Wanna Party‘. Sammy Rae & the Friends continued the energetic vibe that FLEECE started and carried it throughout their set.

    Sammy Rae

    The night was filled with joy and love, with each song resonating with the audience. Sammy’s lyrics are soulful and emotionally charged, leaving a lasting impact on listeners.

    The group showcased a new song from their upcoming full-length album, David, as well as their previously released singles, ‘Thieves’ and ‘Coming Home Song.’

    Sammy Rae

    From FLEECE to Sammy Rae & The Friends, the night felt like a warm campfire. For three hours, the audience could leave their stress at the door and forget about their worries. The atmosphere was safe and welcoming, allowing everyone to be themselves and have a good time.

    Sammy Rae 2024 Tour Dates

    Oct 30, 2024
    Rialto Theatre -Montreal, QC

    Nov 1, 2024
    Flynn Center for the Performing Arts – Burlington, VT

    Nov 2, 2024
    State Theatre – Portland, ME

    Nov 3, 2024
    Landmark Theatre -Syracuse, NY

    Nov 6, 2024
    The Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ

    Nov 8, 2024
    Terminal 5 -New York, NY

    Nov 9, 2024
    Terminal 5 -New York, NY

    Nov 11, 2024
    Ulster Performing Arts Center -Kingston, NY

    Sammy Rae
    Sammy Rae
    Sammy Rae
    Sammy Rae
    Sammy Rae

  • Weezer Announces Their Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour

    May 10, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Weezer’s self-titled debut album, better known as the Blue Album. To celebrate the milestone, Weezer announced their Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour on March 11. The tour will consist of opening acts The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr. along with a setlist comprising the entirety of the Blue Album. 

    While Weezer has gone on recent back-to-back tours (The Hella Mega Tour in 2021-2022 followed by The Indie Rock Road Trip in 2023), the setlists focused on Weezer’s more recent albums. Since the pandemic, Weezer released two albums, OK Human (2021) and Van Weezer (2021), along with four EPs in 2022. With this added material, Weezer has a vast array of source material to choose from, spanning 15 studio albums and 37 singles. So while Weezer has made sure to almost always play their Blue Album’s singles along with their hit “Surf Wax America ” during their concerts, it has been near impossible to play the entirety of the Blue Album at one concert. But now, fans have the chance to listen live to the entirety of perhaps Weezer’s most iconic and influential album. 

    Weezer released their critically-acclaimed self-debut album back in 1994. With three hit singles – “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Say It Ain’t So” – it’s no surprise the album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum under eight months later on January 13, 1995. Not only have the songs developed into pop culture staples but so has the album cover, which is now a global meme. The album’s humor, geekiness, and musicality cemented Weezer as the band for outcasts and alternative rock enthusiasts alike. 

    Weezer will be kicking off the tour with a special performance at The Lodge Room in Los Angeles on March 15. The performance harkens back to Weezer’s very first performance on March 19, 1992 when they closed for Keanue Reeves’ band Dogstar. Now almost exactly 30 years later, Dogstar will be opening for Weezer! There are rumors of other surprise guests as well. 

    The tour will then begin on September 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Weezer will be in New York at Madison Square Garden on September 11. Weezer will be in the surrounding tristate area on September 13 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. As the band stated, “Get ready, because you’re about to be feeling Blue all year round.” 

    Presale for Weezer’s fan club members and their mailing list starts Wednesday, March 13. General on sale tickets will be available on Friday, March 15. For more information and to get tickets, click here. 

  • Performance Space New York Welcomes Taja Cheek as the Organization’s New Artistic Director

    Arts organization Performance Space New York has announced Taja Cheek as their newest Artistic Director. Best known for her experimental, against-the-grain pop music under the name L’Rain, Cheek will expand the organization’s mission with the rare insight of her experiences of experimental performance.

    Performance Space New York Taja Cheek

    Cheek joins Senior Director Pati Hertling and Associate Director Ana Beatriz Sepúlveda-Echegaray to form a three-person leadership team.

    Performance Space New York is based in the East Village of Manhattan and aims to educate, curate and produce various projects with an artist-and-community-first approach. Taja Cheek will satisfy and expand this vision as her life and career in the arts have yet to adhere to disciplinary boundaries or creative norms. This is a perfect reflection of what Performance Space New York stands for.

    Okwui Okpokwasili Performance Space New York Spring Gala

    Over the last 40-plus years Performance Space has been propelling cultural, theoretical, and political discourse forward. Progress and world-building connect the interdisciplinary works presented here. Works that have dissolved the borders of performance art, dance, theater, music, visual art, poetry and prose, ritual, night life, food, film, and technology, shattering artistic and social norms alike.

    “Taja has in her work transgressed disciplines and institutional preconceptions; she’s a community maker and a renegade, and her work feels so connected to what we’ve been doing at Performance Space. With our new leadership structure, we’re continuing in the direction of a practice where new work and ideas are generated through internal collaboration—rather than us just commissioning artists who are being handed from one institution to another.”

    Senior Director Pati Hertling.

    For more information on upcoming Performance Space NY events, click here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNMz-eTkh_0

  • The Dandy Warhols Take Over Manhattan With A Pair Of Stellar Performances At Gonzo’s & Webster Hall

    Touring in support of their twelfth studio album (ROCKMAKER, Sunset Blvd Records) scheduled to drop on March 15, featuring special appearances by Frank Black (Pixies), Slash (Guns N’ Roses) and Debbie Harry (Blondie), The Dandy Warhols (TDW) – beloved alternative-rockers from Portland, Oregon – performed back-to-back shows this past Friday (March 8) and Saturday (March 9) in the East Village.

    Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Brent DeBoer of The Dandy Warhols
    Photo Credit: Michael Dinger / Pit Perspectives
    Brent DeBoer of The Dandy Warhols
    Photo Credit: Michael Dinger / Pit Perspectives

    Friday night saw the quartet of Courtney Taylor-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Peter Holmström (guitar), Zia McCabe (keyboards, bass, percussion, vocals) and Brent DeBoer (drums, guitar, vocals) take to a set of bar stools at Gonzo’s Recording Studio for an exclusive, invite-only acoustic performance. The few dozen or so lucky souls in attendance were treated to an intimate, 30-minute set that included “I Will Never Stop Loving You,” an upcoming track from ROCKMAKER on which the aforementioned Harry makes a guest spot. The night’s festivities also included a ROCKMAKER listening party, followed by a DJ set by TDW’s very own McCabe.

    Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols
    Photo Credit: Michael Dinger / Pit Perspectives
    Peter Holmström of The Dandy Warhols
    Photo Credit: Michael Dinger / Pit Perspectives

    Despite a chilly spring evening that pounded Lower Manhattan with torrential rain for hours on end, nothing could spoil TDW’s headlining gig at Webster Hall on Saturday, a landmark building constructed in 1886 that uniquely serves as both a nightclub and concert hall. Providing support for TDW were Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor (SOYSV), a psych-power band formed in 2009 who call Detroit home. Having released their sixth album (Nocturnal Train To Mars, Little Cloud Records) last month, the trio of Sean Morrow (vocals, guitar), Eric Oppitz (bass, keyboards) and Rick Sawoscinski (drums) enveloped the steadily growing audience in a sonic landscape of haunting melodies, fuzzed-out guitar riffs and hypnotic bass lines.

    Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor
    Photo Credit: Michael Dinger / Pit Perspectives

    Taking the stage at 8:50 pm, TDW dove right into a 90-minute set of hypnotic psychedelia that collectively mesmerized the 1,500-capacity crowd. Performing tracks spanning a magnificent three decade career, the night’s stand-out numbers included “We Used to Be Friends” and “The Last High” (Welcome to the Monkey House, 2003), “Bohemian Like You” (Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, 2000) and “Boys Better” (. . . The Dandy Warhols Come Down, 1997). The show closed with McCabe alone on stage as she lovingly serenaded us with an innocent rendition of The Velvet Underground’s 1969 song “After Hours.”

    The Dandy Warhols
    Photo Credit: Michael Dinger / Pit Perspectives

    TDW’s tour visits select North American cities over the next week, culminating in Los Angeles on March 19. The foursome will then relaunch the tour in Auckland, New Zealand on April 22, followed by a string of seven dates in Australia (April 25 – May 3).

    Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor Setlist: Sweet Girl Insanity > She Makes a Great Parade > It’s Good to Be Alive > Walk of Sobriety > Crystal Cup > Suck Upon the Living > Night Crawler > Mister Baby (The Ballad of Ilk) > Black Mind

    The Dandy Warhols Setlist (Gonzo’s): I’d Like To Help You With Your Problem > Styggo > Godless > I Will Never Stop Loving You > We Used to Be Friends

    The Dandy Warhols Setlist (Webster Hall): Ride > I’d Like To Help You With Your Problem > We Used to Be Friends > Crack Cocaine Rager > Danzig With Myself > Styggo > Plan A > Be Alright > Summer of Hate > I Love You > The Last High > I Will Never Stop Loving You > Arpeggio Adaggio > Holding Me Up > Godless > Bohemian Like You > Pete International Airport / Boys Better

    UPCOMING TOUR DATES

    March 12 – Toronto, Ontario @ Danforth Music Hall

    March 14 – Columbus, Ohio @ Newport Music Hall

    March 15 – Indianapolis, Indiana @ Vogue Theater

    March 16 – St. Louis, Missouri @ Delmar Hall

    March 18 – Denver, Colorado @ Gothic Theatre

    March 19 – Los Angeles, California @ Fonda Theatre

    April 22 – Auckland, New Zealand @ The Powerstation

    April 25 – Brisbane, Australia @ The Tivoli

    April 26 – Adelaide, Australia @ The Gov

    April 28 – Melbourne, Australia @ Forum

    April 29 – Perth, Australia @ Astor Theatre

    May 1 – Sydney, Australia @ Enmore Theatre

    May 2 – Adelaide, Australia @ The Gov

    May 3 – Melbourne, Australia @ Northcote Theatre

    SISTERS OF YOUR SUNSHINE VAPOR

    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White

    THE DANDY WARHOLS

    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White
    Photo Credit: Gabrielle White

  • Great Blue Heron 2024 Festival Announced

    The Great Blue Heron 2024 festival lineup has been announced, featuring 33 artists on three stages from July 5-7. Fan favorites and amazing Heron first-timers come together for what is sure to be a great weekend!

    Great Blue Heron 2024

    The Great Blue Heron Festival draws in thousands of fans from across the U.S. each year, remaining a tradition for people young and old to celebrate self-expression and music. The festival will take place at the Heron Farm in Sherman, an award-winning campsite, voted number one in the U.S. by HipCamp. The Heron is open daily for seasonal camping from May through October along with the Green Heron Growers Farm Store.

    David Tidquist and Julie Rockcastle founded the festival, built to present a diverse assortment of original music from regional and national artists, create a collaborative space where all are encouraged to participate and interact, foster a cooperative and positive environment for celebration, and ensure a safe and satisfying experience for the whole community.

    There are three stages; the Main Stage, the big top Dance Tent, and the Tiger Maple Stage, as well as over 30 artists, featuring returning headliners Donna the Buffalo. The group has been together for over thirty years, releasing over ten records, and performing with various musicians, including prominent folk/roots performers such as Jim Lauderdale, the father and son zydeco musicians Preston and Keith Frank, and more.

    Great Blue Heron 2024

    The lineup for the Great Blue Heron 2024 Festival includes Donna the Buffalo, Sam Bush, Rubblebucket, Couch, Jimkata, Driftwood, Cool Cool Cool, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Buffalo Zydeco, and so much more.

    To purchase tickets for the Great Blue Heron 2024 Festival, visit here.

  • Follow the Arrow Announces 2024 Lineup

    Returning to Accord, NY on Saturday, June 29, Follow the Arrow festival finds host Marco Benevento bringing in an eclectic lineup for the third installment, including Mike Gordon joining Benevento for a joint performance.

    follow the arrow

    Follow the Arrow will also feature Os Mutantes, W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend to Cause Harm), Ghost Funk Orchestra, and special guest Sam Cohen. Ghost Funk Orchestra and Benevento pair up for a tour this spring as well.

    Marco Benevento will also perform with both his solo project as well as the Benevento Family Band.

    marco benevento follow the arrow
    Follow the Arrow 2022 – Photo by Em Walis

    The performance with Mike Gordon marks the first since since 2006 that he and Benevento have played together as a duo. They have also performed together in the past with G.R.A.B. (Gordon, (Joe) Russo, (Trey) Anastasio, Benevento) as well as shows with Gordon joining the Benevento-Russo Duo.

    Tickets are available here.

  • Frog Release First Ever Live Performance Film, “Unplugged and Unhinged” Ahead of Upcoming Tour

    New York cult group Frog announces the release of their first ever live performance film, “Unplugged and Unhinged” on March 8. The live film marks the band’s upcoming Northeast tour coming mid-March.

    Unplugged and Unhinged frog

    The video was recorded at a sold-out show at Manhattan’s famous Canary Club this past December. The performance captures the band playing acoustically for the first time ever. “Unplugged and Unhinged” also offers the first official recordings of their expanded lineup. The band is comprised of leader Daniel Bateman and his brother Steve Bateman.

    They are joined by returning co-founder Tom White. Frog shares the video a week prior to their upcoming tour which follows the band’s latest album, Grog. The tour begins March 14 in Philadelphia and wraps up March 23 with a location to be announced. The band will stop in Brooklyn’s legendary club, Knitting Factory on March 15.

    Frog’s performance showcases the band’s live abilities with their soulful, twangy, foot-tapping tunes. To watch the live performance, and to see more of Frog’s work, click here.

  • Irish Alt Rockers Two Door Cinema Club Announce Biggest Tour of Their Career

    Alternative rockers Two Door Cinema Club announced their biggest string of tour dates ever. The tour includes dates in Lewiston and NYC, with the tour starting March 4 and wrapping up on October 3.

    Two Door Cinema Club’s tour will see the band’s hot mix of guitar-driven post-punk hooks with dancey, electronic polish. The alt-pop sound gets people moving. The band will play their hits as well as recent music. They will stop at Pier 17 in NYC on July 23 and Artpark Amphitheater in Lewiston on July 29. The tour also includes a few dates in Ireland and the UK.

    The group hails from Bangor and Donaghadee, Northern Ireland. Lead vocalist, guitarist and programmer Alex Trimble, guitarist and vocalist Sam Halliday, and bassist and vocalist Kevin Baird comprise the trio. The trio began playing as Two Door Cinema Club in 2007 and continue to stand the test of time in 2024 and beyond.

    Two Door Cinema Club | 2024 Tour Dates

    March 4 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre (with Joywave)

    March 5 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! (with Joywave)

    March 7 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre (with Joywave)

    March 8 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue (with Joywave)

    May 17 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre (with Day Wave)

    May 18 – Pasadena, CA – Just Like Heaven Festival

    May 19 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater (with Day Wave)

    May 21 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom (with Day Wave)

    May 22 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre (with Day Wave)

    May 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union (with Day Wave)

    May 25 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom (with Day Wave)

    May 28 – Dallas, TX – Southside Ballroom (with Day Wave)

    May 29 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (with Day Wave)

    May 30 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre (with Day Wave)

    June 22 – Dublin, IE – Fairview Park

    July 13 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy (with Flipturn) *

    July 16 – Miami, FL – FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park (with Flipturn) *

    July 17 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place (with Flipturn) *

    July 19 – Asheville, NC – Rabbit Rabbit (with Flipturn) *

    July 20 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater (with Flipturn) *

    July 23 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 (with Flipturn) *

    July 26 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage (with Flipturn) *

    July 27 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion (with Flipturn) *

    July 28 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion (with Flipturn) *

    July 29 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Amphitheater (with Flipturn) *

    July 31 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum (with Flipturn) *

    August 15 – Belfast, IE – CHSQ

    August 16 – Carnmore East, IE – Galway Summer Sessions

    August 22 through 25 – Reading, UK – Reading Festival

    August 22 through 25 – Leeds, UK – Leeds Festival

    September 13 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theatre (with Petey) *

    September 14 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater (with Petey) *

    September 15 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater (with Petey) *

    September 17 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic (with Petey) *

    September 21 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square at Petco Park (with Petey) *

    September 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre (with Petey) *

    September 25 – El Paso, TX – The Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center (with Petey) *

    September 26 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park (with Petey) *

    September 28 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre (with Petey) *

    September 29 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis presented by Affinity Plus (with Petey) *

    October 1 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee (with Petey) *

    October 2 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park (with Quarters Of Change) *

    October 3 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works (with Quarters Of Change) *

    *Newly added tour dates

    Tickets for Two Door Cinema Club will be available starting with a Citi presale beginning on Tuesday, March 5 at 10 AM ET. An artist presale will begin on Wednesday, March 6 at 10 AM. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, March 8 at 10 AM at twodoorcinemaclub.com.

  • NYC Duo The Lemon Twigs Release Latest Album “A Dream Is All We Know” Featuring Sean Lennon

    NYC indie-rock duo The Lemon Twigs released their latest album titled A Dream Is All We Know. The LP sees a wonderful collaboration with Sean Ono Lennon, son of Beatles legend John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

    the lemon twigs

    The Lemon Twigs hail from NYC/Long Island area. The duo tours with two other band members that cover various instruments while on the road. The group draws inspiration from golden age classic rock, and modern indie rock music and they do a splendid job of merging both styles into something many can turn on to.

    The Lemon Twigs new LP was mixed and mastered by the duo themselves, brothers Brian and Michael. Sean Ono Lennon recorded and co-produced the track, “In the Eyes of a Girl” while at his Upstate New York recording studio.

    The album is hugely reminiscent of 60s and 70s classic rock like the Beatles, Beach Boys, Grateful Dead and others. It is very fitting that Sean Lennon collaborated on this album to homage the music his father birthed. The album has a vintage feel, and a summer-of-love vibe undoubtedly.

    The group performing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

    To learn more about The Lemon Twigs and all upcoming music, click here.